Dead-center device



W. L. HARRIS.

DEAD CENTER DEVICE.

APPLICATION'IFILED SEPT. 19, 1918.

Patented June 1, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. L. HARRIS.

DEAD CENTER DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19, ms.

1,341,849, Patented June L 1920.

NIIIHIHHH 1 H 'H lHliLll IHI -W. L. HARRIS.

DEAD CENTER DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19. 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- Patented June 1, 1920.

w. L. HARRIS.

DEAD CENTER DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 19. me.

' Patented June 1,1920.

4 SHEER-SHEET 4.

WILLIAM L. HARRIS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented new i, 1928.

Application filed se tember 19, 1918'. Serial No. 254,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VVILLI ML. HARnrs, a citizen of the "United States, and a resident of Kansas City, Jackson county, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dead-Center Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked. thereon which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a mechanism adapted to be used in connection with reciprocating engines to obviate dead centers.

It is an object of this invention to construct a reciprocating engine having mechanisms forming a part thereof adapted to eliminate dead centers.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a reciprocating engine wherein a toothed mechanism is provided for insuring operation of the engine even when the connecting rods and cranks are 111 alined or dead'center positions It is also an object of the inventionto provide a reciprocating steam or gasolene en ine having means conected between the piston rod and the crank shaft adapted to do away with dead centers and increase-the efiiciency of the engine.

A further object of the invention is the construction of an engine wherein a rack frame is connected to the engine piston rod to impart a drive to a mutilated crank shaft gear whereby the connecting rods and rank are carried past dead center position with the aid of lever mechanisms.

It is furthermore an object of the in-' vention to provide a reciprocating steam or gasoline engine wherein suitable lever mechanisms are properly guided and connected with the'piston rod and the crank shaft by means of toothed members to afford an arrangement of parts adapted to obviate dead centers and thereby increase the efliciency of the engine.

Another object of the invention is. the construction of a reciprocating engine wherein the connecting rods are only used to carry the cranks past vertical positions while a piston rod rack frame mechanism is adapted to rotate the crank shaft through the rest of a revolution to obviate dead centers,

Still another object of theinvention is the construction of a reciprocating engine wherein a rack frame co-acting with the mutilated gear is adapted to permit starting of the engine even when-theconnecting rod and crank are in dead center positions with respect to one. another. 1 V p It is also an object of thisinvention to provide a reciprocating engine with a toggle'mechanism adapted to relieve the connecting rod of the driving stress after the crank has been moved beyond vertical position to permit the driving stress to be-applied through a rack mechanism to the crank shaft in other positions of said crank.

It is an important object of this invention to construct a reciprocating steam or gasolene engine wherein a movable rack frame and levers are connected with the engine piston rod and crank shaft to eliminate dead centers and insure a more eflicient operation of the engine.

Gther and further important objects of this invention will be'apparent from the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

r 011 the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a recip-' rocating engine partly broken away and equipped with a dead center obviating device embodying the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing parts in elevation. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on line-44c, of Fig. 1.

F ig.'5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5, of Fig. 1, showing the actuating levers in the same horizontal plane in position to impart a drive from the piston rod to the connecting rod to carry the crank beyond vertical position.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the crank moved through. ninety degrees with the power from the piston rod being imparted I eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig. 5, with the levers positioned to agaln carry the crank past vertical position through the action of the connecting rod.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates a re- I ciprocating steam or gasolene engine base or provided. with a piston rod 3.

bed section, having mounted on one end thereof a horizontally disposed cyllnder 2, Rigidly mounted upon the top and near each side 7 are centrally passaged to receive the ends of transverse axles or shafts 8, rotatably seated therein. Mounted in the middle of each of the transverse shafts 8, is a double-beveled guide roller 9. Mounted upon the top of the engine bed 1, are a plurality of pairsof up- .rights or standards 10, each pair of which is adapted to rotatably support a double-beveled roller 11, therebetween. The lower guide rollers 11, are disposed longitudinally and centrally of the bed 1, below the upper rollers 9, and in the same vertical plane therewith, to aflord a suitable support for a reciprocating rectangular driving frame. 1 The driving frame is disposed longitudinally of the engine in a vertical plane between the upper guide rollers 9, and the lower guide and supporting rollers 11, and comprises a'vertical front stile 12 and a vertical rear stile 13, which stiles are integrally connected by means of a lower horizontal sill 14, and an upper horizontal sill 15. The outer'edges of the sills 14 and 15, are provided with V-shaped grooves to receive the double-beveled tread surfaces of the guide rollers. Formed on the front of the frame stile 12, is an internally threaded integral head or sleeve 16, to permit the driving frame to be attached to the outer end of the engine piston rod 3. A piston rod lock nut 17, is engaged on the piston rod to hold the frame locked in position on said piston rod. Formed in the middle portion of the inner edge of the lower frame sill 14, is an integral lower rack comprising {teeth 18. Similarly formed on the fmiddle portion 'of the inner edge of the upper frame sill 15, is an integral upper rack embracing teeth 19. 7

Rigidly secured upon the top of the bed 1, are two oppositely disposed uprights, pedestals or standards 20, provided with bearing heads or boxes 21, to rotatably support a crank shaft 22, transversely of the engine.

The crank shaft 22, is provided with two cranks 23, disposed in the same plane on opposite sides of the center thereof and on V the same side of the crank shaft. Each of the cranks 23, is provided with a crank pin 24, which connects the crank arms. Keyed or otherwise secured on the middle portion of the crank shaft 22, between the two cranks 23,. is a mutilated driving gear comprising a wheel 25,having gear teeth ternately mesh with the rack teeth 18 and 19,

as the rack frame is reciprocated. Keyed or otherwise secured on each end of the crank shaft between the standard 20, and one of the cranks 23, is a solid guide wheel or disk 27, provided on the inner surface thereof wlth a contlnuous cam-way or oval gulde groove 28.

Securely mounted upon the top surface of the engine bed 1, between the cylinder 2 and the crank shaft 22, and to the inside of the supporting frames are a pair of oppositely disposeduprights, brackets or supports 29, each of which has pivotally mounted on the upper end thereof a balanced rocker arm or centrally fulcrumed beam 30.

The rear end of each rocker beam 30, is bent outwardly and has rotatably mounted on the end thereof a guide roller 31, which engages in the cam roove 28, of the respective guide disk 27. ivotally connected to the other or front end of each of the rocker beams 30, is the lower end of an auxiliary link, lever or toggle 32, the upper end of which is pivotally connected intermediate the ends of a connecting rod link, lever or toggle 33. toggles 33, has one end thereof pivotally connected to the front end of a connecting rod 34, and the other end pivotally connected to one end of a piston rod link,,lever or toggle 35. through an extension 36, integrally formed on the inside of the frame stile 12, is a stub shaft or pin 37, to the projecting ends of which the other or front ends ofthe two piston rod toggles 35, are pivotally connected. The rear ends of the connecting rods 34, are pivotally connected to the crank pins 24. Rotatably mounted upon the front end and to the outside of each of the connecting rods 34, is a guide roller 38, which The fly "wheel, governor and other com- The mutilated gear is disposed ver- 0 Each of the connecting'rod 110 Projecting transversely 1 1 5 mon parts of the reciprocating engine have been omitted since the same are not essential to a proper disclosure of the invention.

The operation is as follows:

With the parts assembled as shown and described the reciprocating engine may be started from any position of rest regardless of the relative positions of the connecting rods and the engine cranks, since dead centers are obviated by the construction of the device.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, which are arranged to show the operation, when the parts are at rest as disclosed in Fig. 5, the toggles 33 and 35, are disposed in the same horizontal plane, while the cranks 23, are extended downwardly in vertical position. The mutilated gear teeth 26, are out of engagement with the rack teeth 18 and 19. Steam or any other actuating medium admitted into the cylinder 2, acts to force the piston outwardly thereby moving the piston rod 3, outwardly to cause movement of the rack frame l2-15, rearwardly between the guide rollers 9 and 11. The power from the piston rod 3, is transmitted directly from the frame stile 12, to the toggles 3335, and to the connecting rods 34, which act to carry or move the cranks 23, from their vertical positions in a counter-clockwise direction. The crank shaft 22, is thus rotated, causing rotation of the mutilated gear 25, the teeth 26, of which are brought into mesh with the lower rack teeth 18; VW hen this occurs the drive from the piston rod 3, is transferred from the toggles 33-4-35, and the connecting rods 34, directly to the frame 1.2-15, the sill rack 14, of which acts to c011- tinue the operation and drive the crank shaft through the rack 18, and the gear teeth 26, one quarter of a revolution or ninety degrees into the position shown in Fig. 6, wherein the cranks 23, are in horizontal dead center position with respect to the connecting rods 34. Due to therotation of the guide wheels or disks 27, with the crank shaft, the guide rollers 31, are rotated in the cam grooves 28, which act to raise the rear end of the rocker beams 30, and swing the front ends downwardly, thereby causing the auxiliary toggles 32, tobe moved downwardly exerting a pull on the toggles to swing the toggles 33 and 35, downwardly to break the horizontal driving position of said toggles and move the same into the position shown in Fig. 6, thereby releasing the connecting rods 34, from driving the crank shaft. It will be noted that the connecting rods are only used to carry the cranks 23, past vertical positions 'to connect up the gear and rack mechanismswhich act to continue the operation of the crank shaf g p The crank shaft has been rotated one quarter of a revolution to position the parts as shown in Fig. 6, and as the frame 12 15, continues its rearward movement the toggles 33 and 35, by the action of the cams and rocker beams, are forced to cross each other and move upwardly again into horizontal position with thetoggles 33, positioned infront of the toggles 35, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The cranks 23, have thus been moved one half revolution into upright vertical position,'wherein the drive from the piston rod 3, is again shifted to the toggles 3335, and thereby to the connecting rods 34, to the cranks to carry the same past vertical position and bring the teeth 26, into mesh with the upper rack teeth 19. The back stroke of the piston having been started the mutilated gear 25, is caused to continue its rotation in a counter clockwise direction, while the frame 1215, moves forwardlyv toward the cylinder 2. The rack teeth 19, meshing with the teeth 26, thereby afford the driving means for the crank shaft, while the rotating cam members 27-28, act to swing or rock the beams 30, to break the horizontal position of the toggles 3335, and thereby release the connecting rods from doing the driving. As the rotation of the crank shaft continues the toggles are again crossed and then moved back into horizontal position again as shown in Fig. 5, as the revolution is completed. The toggles 35, are now disposed to the front of the toggles 33, and the operation is repeated while the engine'is in operation.

From the' operation as described it willbe noted that the dead center positions of the connecting rods and cranks are obviated and that the maximum drive from the piston rod 3, is at all times being imparted to the crank shaft either through the connecting rods and cranks, or through the racks and the mutilated gear. The cams and rocker beams serve as a means for breaking the horizontal positions of the toggles 33-35, at the proper time to shift the drive from the connecting rods to the reciprocating driving rack frame 1215. The connecting rods serve primarily as a means for carrying the cranks past vertical positions to bring the rack gear mechanisms into operation. The forward ends of the connecting rods are caused to move in a horizontal planeby the guide rollers 38, whiclrmove in thestationar channel 'uides 39 secured to the su e a l porting frames members 4.

I amaware that numerous details o f'construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. The-combination with an engine piston rod, and crank shaft, of cam-controlled rack and gear means connected therewith for do ing away with dead center positions of the engine. 2. The combination with an engine and the piston rod and crank shaft thereof, of a rack frame connected with said piston rod, means for guiding and supporting said rack frame, a mutilated gear on said crank shaft and in said frame, a crank on said crank shaft, a connecting rod connected therewith, and mechanisms connected with said rack frame, with said connecting rod and with said crank shaft for alternately shifting the piston rod drive from said connecting rod to said rack frame and gear to obviate dead centers.

3. The combination with a reciprocating engine and the piston rod and crank shaft thereof, of a reciprocating rack frame con- 7 nected with the piston rod, means for supportingand guiding the rack frame, a mutilated gear on said crank shaft, a crank on said crank shaft, a connecting rod connected therewith, and toggle means between said rack frame and said connecting rod adapted to obviate dead center positions.

4. The combination with a reciprocating engine and the piston rod, crank shaft and connecting rod thereof, of mutilated gearing connected to said piston rod and crank shaft, and a lever mechanism connected between said mutilated gearing and said connecting rod adapted to alternately. shift the piston rod drive from said connecting rod to said mutilated gearing to obviate dead centers.

5. In a reciprocating engine the combination with a piston rod and a crank shaft, of a disk mounted on the crank shaft, a cam groove in. the disk, a plurality of driving mechanisms connected to the piston rod, and means engaged in said cam groove and connected with the driving mechanisms whereby the crankshaft is alternately driven to obviate dead centers.

6. In a reciprocating engine the combination with a piston rod and a crank shaft, of

a plurality of driving mechanisms connected between said piston rod and crank shaft, and

cam controlled means connected with said 7 driving mechanism to alternately shift the drive from one of said mechanismsto the otherto continuouslydrive said crank shaft from said piston rod to obviate dead centers. 7 The combination with a reciprocating engine, of cam-controlled toggle means connected therewith for obviating dead centers.

8. The combination with an engine piston 1 rod and connecting rod, of rack and gear and toggle mechanisms alternately connected therebetween for driving the engine and for obviating dead center positions in said engine.

. 9. rod and connecting rod, of driving mechanisms connected thereto, and cam-controlled The combination with an engine piston means for actuating one of said mechanisms to cause the drive from said piston rod to be shifted to the other mechanism to obviate dead centers.

10. In an engine, a piston rod, a rack frame connected thereto and operable thereby, means for supporting and guiding said rack frame, a shaft, a mutilated gear thereon adaptedto co-act with said rack frame, a crank on said shaft, a connecting rod connected thereto, toggles connected between said rack frame and said connecting rod adapted in certain positions to transmit a drive from the piston rod through said connecting rod and crank to said shaft, rocker means connected with said toggles, and cam means on said shaft engaged withsaid rocker means to cause said toggles to be actuated to shift the piston rod drive from said connecting rod to said rack frame and mutilated gear to continue the rotation of said shaft and obviate dead center positions.

11. In a reciprocating engine, a piston rod, a frame attached thereto, means for sup: porting and guiding said. frame, a shaft projecting through said frame, a crank thereon, a connecting rod connected with said crank, means for guiding the connecting rod, a link connected to'said connecting rod, a second link connecting said first link to said frame, an auxiliary link connected to said first link, a rocker beam connected to said auxiliary link, a disk on said shaft hav ing a cam groove therein, means on said; rocker beam engaged in sald cam groove to cause operation of said rocker beam and. said links, a mutilated gear on said shaft, and racks formed on said frame adapted to coact with said mutilated gear to drive said shaft through the frame to obviate dead centers, said first and second links adapted in certain positions to drive the shaft 12. In an engine, the combinationwith a j v piston rod and crank shaft, of two driving mechanisms connected between said piston rod'and crank shaft, and cam-controlled toggle-mechanisms connected between said two driving mechanisms toalternately shift the f piston rod drivefrom one. of said mecha-' WILLIAM L. HARRIS. Witnesses:

H. T. HUnsoN, A. F. ESGAR. V

nisms to the other to continuously rotate the 

